Solo Swimmers

I have no tips, still too much of a newbie, but I have to swim alone because I could not find a local team. I'm hoping to find one in fall or winter. I go to a fitness center with a 4 lane, 25y pool and I have yet to find a good time to go. I suspect it will get better after kids are back in school since one or two lanes are always taken for swim lessons. There is no set schedule for that. The teachers make themselves available at whatever time parents choose, so I can't say 11 or 12 or 1 is a good time. Until September, that is. For the summer I joined a local Triathlon club which has Tuesday night open water sessions, so I can get out and do a mile or so at least one day a week with a friendly group. I'm retired, so I go to the pool during working hours and mostly it's other old-timers then too. Those people are not competitive masters and not cross-training for other sports and several are not even what I would term fitness swimmers. Judging by their movements, they are probably rehabbing from serious age-related illnesses. A couple are what I call snorkel guys. They are wide-body 70-80-somethings who wear a swim belt, snorkel, mask and flippers. They will not share a lane since they insist on staying dead center in the lane and the way they flail their arms one wouldn't want to join them anyway. Then there are the floaters, a couple people who do not have any discernible stroke, they more or less tread water, sculling about 10 yards a minute. Often one lane will be taken by 2 or 3 elderly women doing their own style of water aerobics instead of laps, even though there is a larger activity pool just 8 feet away. The big pool is salt water, the lap pool is not, so that's their reason for taking up a lane.

My rant is that after shoulder surgery last year and assurances I'd be fine by now, I have an inflamed trapezius caused by packing for our move. I can't do anything that uses my shoulder muscles. It's been months since I've been able to swim. I bought a house in an over 55 development that only has a 50 foot pool (it was still under construction when we purchased and I was told it was a lap fitness pool. That's code for inadequate for fitness swimmers). So I'll be trekking out to LA Fitness up the road, or the aquatic center 10 miles away. Elaine, I envy you that awesome pool.

Sumorunner: I am convinced the people who use your pool have cloned themselves and populated every pool across the universe! :afraid: Everywhere I have swum, I have seen the same types you have described. We have them here in my Sun City community as well. I feel your pain. :bighug: Denise: I hope you enjoy your new community. Did you ask how long the pool was going to be when you were shopping for a house? "Lap fitness pool" is up to interpretation, as you found out. My main requirement in moving to a new community was that it had to have an indoor pool I could train in all year around-- or, be located very close to one. Ground had just been broken on the pool when we first looked at this community; however, I asked A LOT of questions about the pool before we made our decision. The only bummer for me was that I was told the water temperature would be kept at 82 degrees; however, the whiny noodlers won out in getting the temperature increased a couple of years after we moved in. :bitching: Thankfully, they didn't get their desired 86 degrees-- the compromise of 84 was bad enough! Regarding the assurances you received after shoulder surgery, I'm sure you doctor based that on normal usage and activities. Packing and moving is very strenuous repetitive stress on the shoulders (as I remember). Did you continue to do physical therapy after your surgery to keep the shoulders strong and prepare them for such stress? If not, it is something I HIGHLY recommend. I had back surgery in 1987, TOS surgery on my shoulder in 1993, and hip surgery in 2014. I am still doing the PT exercises I was given for all three of those surgeries, and I do them each day after my swim (six days per week). Some of them are great for warm-up, so I do those before I swim. Denise, I would recommend going back to physical therapy. and seeing what you need to do to get back in the pool. Good luck!

I hear you, Elaine. I went to pt before my surgery and for months after, and kept up the stretching exercises, too, but I just overdid the packing. I did ask about the size of the pool in my new community, which was under construction (of course). I was assured by several people that it was a lap pool. Hilariously, the hostess at the clubhouse tried to tell us it was a 50 meter pool. Ha, if only. I talked to the developer and told him I'd never use the pool, that IMHO it was for the shower cap and noodle set. The upside is that there are miles of biking/walking trails in and around the community, and some mediocre but serviceable equipment in what they laughingly refer to as a workout room. I'm a member of LA Fitness, though, and there's one about 3 miles from me. I'm sad to be giving up my incredibly awesome recreation department here in Fairfax County, where nine of the rec centers have Olympic sized pools (because it's where a lot of the high school teams practice). My game plan is to try and get a job with UMd so I can use the wonderful natatorium where the Masters meet was held a couple years back (where we met). There are two big swim centers in Anne Arundel County, they're just a bit of a drive. I'm headed back to the physical therapist next week and fingers crossed, my shoulder will be all right. Your journey continues to inspire me. I swear I will get better and get swimming again. Thanks for starting this thread.

Aha! Good news. I found that the YMCA only 10 miles north of me has an 8 lane 25y pool, and I can join for free within the terms of my health ins. That should have enough room for the floaters and snorkelers and me. And guess what they also have. cdymca.org/.../

Thanks, Denise! And, you're welcome! :D Good news, Sumo! That sounds perfect for you!

My #1 tip for solo swimming is already being discussed - live near great pools. For those of you who have the option to relocate, I highly recommend the greater Phoenix area. We have a stupid number of great pools with generous (and uncrowded lap swimming) and a bevy of great masters teams. Yeah, it's a little toasty in the summer and a little chilly swimming in the mornings outdoors in the winter, but, until the Colorado dries up or we lose access to our fair share of that river's bounty, Phoenix really is the land of pools. My second tip is for those of you traveling and training - make the USMS 'Places to Swim' and www.swimmersguide.com as your top favorites on your browser and you'll almost always find a place to train.

My #1 tip for solo swimming is already being discussed - live near great pools. For those of you who have the option to relocate, I highly recommend the greater Phoenix area. We have a stupid number of great pools with generous (and uncrowded lap swimming) and a bevy of great masters teams. Yeah, it's a little toasty in the summer and a little chilly swimming in the mornings outdoors in the winter, but, until the Colorado dries up or we lose access to our fair share of that river's bounty, Phoenix really is the land of pools. My second tip is for those of you traveling and training - make the USMS 'Places to Swim' and www.swimmersguide.com as your top favorites on your browser and you'll almost always find a place to train. Thanks, Patrick! I LOVE swimmersguide.com . I use it everywhere I travel, and I have had great luck finding pools. :applaud:

Great thread, Elaine! Hopefully many people will post here. Good luck everyone!

Yeah, I pulled a deltoid in Aug of 2014 racing my son and grandson across the pool and the pain stayed with me for about 18 months. I was able to swim with it. The pain eased after a lap or two, but afterward, that's another story. And oddly, a gentle arm swing while running hurt quite a bit.